The invention disclosed herein relates to heat exchangers of the type utilizing heat pipes charged with heat transfer fluids. More particularly, the invention concerns such a heat exchanger which is so constructed as to permit simultaneous charging of the heat pipes.
Heat exchangers of this type generally have a plurality of heat pipes arranged in several rows in order to maximize the heat transfer capabilities of the device. In known heat exchangers of this type, the heat pipes are individually evacuated, charged with heat transfer fluid and then sealed. This charging process is both time consuming and expensive due to the individual handling of the heat pipes. Consequently, it is desirable to provide a multiple heat pipe heat exchanger in which the time and expense involved in charging the heat pipes can be drastically reduced.